GENERAL BIOLOGY WEEK 1-2

LEARNING TASK 3

1. The table below shows the major digestive enzymes for carbohydrate, protein, fat, and nucleic
acid digestion.

Enzyme Produced in
Carbohydrate digestion
 Salivary amylase  Salivary glands
 Pancreatic amylase  Pancreas
 Maltase  Small intestine
Protein digestion
 Pepsin  Gastric glands
 Trypsin  Pancreas
 Peptidases  Small intestine
Fat digestion
 Lipase  Pancreas

Nucleic acid digestion

 Nuclease  Pancreas
 nucleosidases  Pancreas

2. The complete digestion of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins occurs in the duodenum. The rest of
the small intestine is devoted to absorbing water and the products of digestion into the
bloodstream. Absorption takes place in the ileum, which surface area is increased by villi and
microvilli.
3. Ingredients of gastric juice are kept inactive until they are selected. Activation mainly occurs
after pepsinogen is secreted into the lumen. Furthermore, the cells found in the gastric glands
include foveolar cells, chief cells, parietal cells, G cells and enterochromaffin-like cells (ECLs). The
first cells of all of the glands are foveolar cells in the neck region–also called mucous neck cells
that produce mucus. This is thought to be different from the mucus produced by the gastric
mucosa.
4. What is a gastric ulcer?

Gastric ulcer, also known as peptic ulcer, is a localized area of erosion in the stomach lining,
resulting in abdominal pain, possible bleeding, and other gastrointestinal symptoms. The most
common cause of gastric ulcer is a stomach infection associated with the Helicobacter pylori ( H
pylori) bacteria. The spread of H pylori among humans is not completely understood; it may
spread through contaminated food and water. Many people become infected with H pylori at a
young age, but symptoms most commonly occur in adulthood.

What causes a gastric ulcer?

 Other causes of gastric ulcer include agents that can cause inflammation of the stomach lining,
including alcohol, tobacco, and medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs). Severe illness and radiation therapy have also been associated with gastric ulcers.

What is heartburn?

The term “heartburn” is misleading. The heart actually has nothing to do with the pain.
Heartburn occurs in your digestive system. Specifically, in your esophagus. Heartburn involves
mild to severe pain in the chest. It’s sometimes mistaken for heart attack pain.

The lining of your esophagus is more delicate than the lining of your stomach. So, the acid in
your esophagus causes a burning sensation in your chest. The pain can feel sharp, burning, or
like a tightening sensation. Some people may describe heartburn as burning that moves up
around the neck and throat or as discomfort that feels like it’s located behind the breastbone.

What causes heartburn?

Some common foods that we eat and drink, stimulate increased stomach acid secretion setting
the stage for heartburn. Over-the-counter medications also may precipitate heartburn.
Examples of these irritants include:
 alcohol,
 caffeine,
 aspirin (Bayer, etc.),
 ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin, etc.)
 Naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve)
 carbonated beverages,
 acidic juices (grapefruit, orange, pineapple)
 acidic foods (tomatoes, grapefruit, and oranges), and
 chocolate.

What is acid reflux?

A circular muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) joins your esophagus and stomach.
This muscle is in charge of tightening your esophagus after food passes to the stomach. If this
muscle is weak or doesn’t tighten properly, the acid from your stomach can move backward into
your esophagus. This is known as acid reflux.

The common cause of acid reflux disease which is a stomach abnormality called a hiatal hernia.
This occurs when the upper part of the stomach and LES move above the diaphragm, a muscle
that separates your stomach from your chest.

Reflection
In this lesson, I understand that All organisms need energy to perform various life processes. Energy is
necessary because it allows organisms to move, respire, and digest, to name a few body processes.
Nutrition is the process of providing or obtaining food necessary for health, survival, and growth of an
organism. I learned about the Nutritional Requirements and Absorption of Plants and Animals along
with the Different types of animals based on feeding mechanisms, the Different Kinds of digestive
compartments in animals, and the Organs involved in food processing in the human digestive system.

I came to realize that there are routes where minerals move through and those are symplast route,
through which water and minerals move through plasmodesmata or apoplast route – along cell walls.
Aside from this, I realized that there are Different types of animals based on feeding mechanisms: the
substrate-feeders, filter-feeders, fluid-feeders, and the bulk-feeders.

I need to learn more about the ailments associated with the digestive system and the causes of Gastric
ulcers, Acid reflux and Heartburn. Also, the major digestive enzymes for carbohydrate, protein, fat, and
nucleic acid digestion.